It's now official: Randy Moss is no longer a member of the New England Patriots. A few minutes ago, the Patriots sent out a press release on a trade, officially marking the end of Moss' tenure with the Patriots. The team also released a statement from Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick:
"Over the course of the past several months, I have spoken with Randy and his representative about
Randy's place on our team and his future in football. Consistent with my dealings with Randy from the day we acquired him through our conversation this morning, it has been honest, thoughtful and with great mutual respect. While I will keep private the details of internal conversations with players and staff, suffice it to say
that many things were taken into consideration before making the trade. In this business, there are
complex and often difficult decisions, but it is my responsibility to make them based on what I feel is best
for our football team, in both the short term and long term. I am grateful for the opportunity to have
coached Randy Moss and aside from facing him as an opponent, I wish him the very best for the
remainder of his Hall of Fame career."
One a side note, the team announced the deal is for an "undisclosed draft choice," although it has been widely reported that the compensation is a 2011 third round draft selection.